Tag: Laura Griffin

This Chick Read: Liar’s Point (The Texas Murder Files #5) by Laura Griffin

It’s par for the course when a murder cuts short the first date Nicole Lawson has had in months. A body has been discovered at Light House point and a yoga instructor called it in. When Nicole interviews the woman she feels as if their only witness is holding something back. Lead investigator, Emmet Davis, has been Nicole’s rival and secret crush but when another body turns up she needs to set aside those feelings and work with Emmet to find out who is targeting their hometown.

I’ve enjoyed The Texas Murder Files series and have watched Nicole and Emmet tip-toeing around each other through four other books. I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure how Laura Griffin was going to pull off a mystery and a romance between these two, but Liar’s Point had an ease to it that gave the story a casual feel that fit the beach setting. The only tension, really, was the kind of high strung Nicole. As the only female detective in her department she feels like she’s fighting for position among the men but really she is the best detective they’ve got and her instincts are spot on.

The mystery itself wasn’t difficult to follow and I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, but I’ll admit it was the dynamic between Emmet and Nicole that I looked forward to reading. Readers have been waiting a long time for these two to get together. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Liar’s Point

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin

Detective Jack Bruner has been investigating the West Campus Rapist for the last decade when a new case makes him think it’s connected to that cold case. He calls on forensic genealogist Rowan Healy for help in track the DNA back to his suspect. Rowan had given up tracing violent criminals and now investigates family trees but she has a personal tie to the West Campus Rapist and agrees to take on Jack’s case. When her DNA research gives him a new lead they must beat the clock to find him before he picks his next victim.

I’m really enjoying Laura Griffin’s romantic suspense thriller novels. Just as with her others, The Last Close Call starts with a jolt and the reader is immediately enmeshed in the characters and plot. Rowan’s job researching dna and family trees was a new, interesting view point for a main protagonist and I liked where that line of the story led. The connection between Jack and Rowan did feel a little abrupt, but it matched the quick storytelling and fast-paced investigation so I was able to easily move on from that quickly built relationship.

This was a quick read, which I like when I have only a few hours to read on a weekend filled with errands and activities. The mystery and atmospheric setting of back woods lots gave my imagination full rein to provide a few moments of jolts and thrills. I liked the brooding hero, but I’ll admit that Rowan was what made this book a success for me. Her line of work was really interesting and I liked that she she had skin in the game from her past personal connection 10 years ago. The romantic bits were just icing on the cake of an already interesting story. Each book I pick up by this author just cements a reason to pick up the next one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Last Close Call

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Deep Tide (Texas Murder Files #4) by Laura Griffin

Leyla’s two brothers are on the police force of their small town, Lost Beach, so she is not ignorant that crime is on the rise. She doesn’t expect to find her murdered employee in the alley behind her café. When a friend of her brother’s, law officer Sean Moran, starts asking questions Leyla realizes that this death may be linked to more trouble close to home. She uses her business connections to ask a few questions and finds herself at the center of the case. A case that soon consumes both she and Sean’s lives and creates a connection that binds them together.

Leyla’s café has been a meeting place in previous novels and Leyla herself an acquaintance of other characters stories, so I was excited to see that she is getting her own book. Leyla is an interesting character in that she’s a business owner and sister to a couple of officers on the police force. She’s not a stranger to murder since both her brothers are on the force, but she is normally a supporting character. During the opening chapter when she meets Sean Moran at her brothers wedding there was an immediate connection that I found interesting despite a lack of a mystery at that point in the novel. As soon as the murder lands on her back door? This story twisted into a romantic thriller, and one that I was thrilled to be reading.

Laura Griffin has a great style of writing that makes her stories very easy to read and immerse myself in. At the same time her characters are relatable and the reader can easily like them. Leyla has always been a likable character and because I already knew her I was two steps ahead emotionally by the end of the first page. What was going to happen to Leyla? Was I going to like Sean for Leyla? What kind of danger would Leyla involve herself in? So many questions! Laura Griffin quickly moved the story forward and those questions eventually were answered in a way that helped me connect and like her even more. Sean was a little harder to figure out because he was a new character, but I liked his immediate connection and the mystery that revolved around why he was in town.

Each of the books in the Texas Murder Files series can be read alone, although you’ll see characters from previous novels pop up. They don’t really have anything to do with the current mystery and I feel like their presence doesn’t detract or confuse the reader, so feel free to pick up this book, even though it’s numbered four in the series. I really enjoyed Leyla’s spirit and Sean’s efforts in taming it. It was a good mystery too!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* Deep Tide

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase a book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin

After the death of her father, Ava Burch moves to the small town of Cuervo from Houston to create a small law practice with a friend. She brings with her Huck, the search and rescue dog that her father had trained. She joined SAR, a volunteer search and rescue and gets sent out on her first search for a lost child. While out she finds an abandoned camp and takes some photos. Her find leads to an investigation into the disappearance of a woman a couple of years ago. As she digs deeper she finds herself the target of random acts of violence making her think she may now be a target.

I really enjoy Laura Griffin’s style of writing a mystery. Granted they are more romantic thrillers than hard driven mysteries but she has now become one of my go-to authors when I need to switch up genre’s. Ava Burch and Investigator Grant Wycoff were an interesting pairing. Ava dresses like she still lives in a big city and drives a smart red sports car and Grant is living in his home town and working for a small police force but they are both attractive, smart, and in fiction land bound to have found each other so I’ll forgive how quickly they become involved and important to each other. Danger does that to a couple, right? Ava, as with Laura Griffin’s other heroine’s, doesn’t stop at turning in her photos and leaving a message for the sheriff, she decides to do some investigating on her own. After all, she’s a lawyer from a big city and her dad used to be a cop. Her instincts tell her something is off, so she moves forward, driving Grant nuts with her ability to find things that were overlooked by his own police force. I can’t help but like that about her!

I won’t give away the mystery in this review but the story leading up to the final reveal was nicely done and fun to read. Not too heavy or bloody, just a woman in danger and her hero who will come to save the day. Just the way I like my romantic thrillers! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase!* Vanishing Hour

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Flight (The Texas Murder Files #2) by Laura Griffin

Former forensic investigator Miranda Rhodes is taking a break from murder in the small town of Lost Beach taking wildlife photos when she finds a murdered couple in a canoe on a river. She instinctively snaps photos before heading back to shore to call it in to the local police. As the person who discovered the bodies she is interviewed by the police but ultimately its her skills and a forensic investigator that lands her in the middle of this murder investigation, as one of the team. When Miranda becomes the center of the murderers attention Detective Joel Breda, the lead investigator on the case finds himself becoming very protective of Miranda.

I read book 3 in the series first but liked it enough to go back and read the first two as well. I really enjoy Laura Griffin’s style. Her mysteries have a hint of romance and don’t have the gritty feel that some thrillers have, it’s easy reading and good characters. Two things I can always get behind. Miranda was an interesting character. She was burnt out from her previous job which contrasted nicely with her taking wildlife photos. I liked that aspect of balance in her character. Of course, when she becomes and integral piece of the murder investigation her character becomes even more interesting. As the lead detective on the case Joel Breda’s character was more straightforward alpha male. He was interested in Miranda right from the start but had these horrible murders happening in his hometown. He wanted to solve the crimes and protect the woman he was coming to care about. Very straightforward and no surprises. These two characters fit very well together and the romance and mystery kept me turning the pages.

There were only a handful of people the reader was introduced to who could be committing these crimes so I won’t say the murder was that big of a mystery but it was well thought out and had some gripping moments. All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend this book and the series to anyone who likes a lighter feel to their mystery novel reading. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Flight

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Midnight Dunes (The Texas Murder Files #3) by Laura Griffin

Macey Burns has been hired by the Tourism Board of Lost Beach, Texas to film a series of commercials. When she moves into the beach house she’s rented she not only finds that it’s not as advertised but that a woman’s body has been found in the dunes not even a half mile away. As an ex-crime reporter she can’t help but be curious about the scene and the investigation. Especially after she meets Detective Owen Breda and discovers she’s living in the dead woman’s house. As she starts filming the area, she meets people, hears their stories and starts piecing together clues. Old habits are hard to break.

Midnight Dunes was a very quick moving, easy to read romantic thriller. Told from two points of view we very easily feel the connection our main characters feel, as well as all of the other emotions each scene unveils. Macey was a really easy character to like. Smart, independent, and beautiful, it’s no wonder Owen can’t stop thinking of her. He also is an intriguing character. Tall and handsome, he has an instinct for questioning people that helps him get answers he needs. Funny enough, I think he and Macey are pretty similar to each other although she’s outgoing and he doesn’t seem to be. I liked them for each other a lot, so it was easy to root for that side of the story.

The mystery was really good and not too easy to anticipate who did what. I like being surprised and this story had a few that kept me on my toes and reading until the end. I was a little worried about this being the third book in the series but it seems that the series, although connected, has stand alone stories so don’t be afraid of picking this one up, you can jump right in without missing any intricate underlining stories. It was a very fast, fun read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Click this book to purchase!* MIdnight Dunes

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads